AFC Totton
Tiverton v AFC Totton preview (FA Trophy)
This Saturday the Stags take a break from Southern League football when they travel to Devon to face Tiverton Town in the FA trophy preliminary round.
The FA Trophy is effectively the FA Cup for non-league clubs from step 4 upwards. All step 4 clubs (AFC Totton’s level) enter at the Preliminary round stage, there are another two qualifying rounds where Step 3 and then step 2 clubs enter. The National (conference) league clubs enter in the following round which is the 1st round proper. The competition finishes with a Wembley final on 22nd May 2016.
The furthest that the Stags have reached in the competition was the 1st round proper back in 2012/13. The Stags were eventually knocked out by current National League leaders Forest Green Rovers. The Stags put in a brave performance on the day but lost narrowly 2-1 at The New Lawn.
As far as this Saturdays tie at Tiverton goes the Stags boss Steve Hollick is well aware that they face a tough game. Tivvy have had a half decent start in the league and they currently occupy 5th place in the table.
When the Stags last visited Ladysmead at the end of last season they ran out 1-0 winners with Nathaniel Sherborne scoring the winner.
If Saturdays tie ends in a draw then the Stags will host the replay at the Testwood Stadium next Tuesday evening (6th October) 7.45pm. If there is a replay then next Wednesdays Hampshire senior cup tie at AFC Stoneham will have to be cancelled and re-arranged for another date. It will also mean that the Stags will face Tiverton three times in a week because they entertain them in a league fixture at The Testwood Stadium next Saturday!
This is why the FA Trophy is vital to non-league clubs. Below is this year’s FA Trophy prize fund. As you will see it is a completion where clubs at our level can earn vital extra funds for the clubs coffers. Let’s hope the Stags can get through and have a bit of a cup run.
| Preliminary Round winners | (64) | £2,500 |
| First Round Qualifying winners | (72) | £2,700 |
| Second Round Qualifying winner | (36) | £3,250 |
| Third Round Qualifying winners | (40) | £4,000 |
| First Round Proper winners | (32) | £5,000 |
| Second Round Proper winners | (16) | £6,000 |
| Third Round Proper winners | (8) | £7,000 |
| Fourth Round Proper winners | (4) | £8,000 |
| Semi Final winners | (2) | £16,000 |
| Final runners-up | (1) | £25,000 |
| Final winners | (1) | £50,000 |
